


Harry Potter and The Mediocre First Year

by gamma_gray



Series: Harry Potter - rewritten [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abusive Lucius Malfoy, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - No Voldemort, Black Hermione Granger, F/M, Good Draco Malfoy, Good Narcissa Black Malfoy, Good Peter Pettigrew, Hogwarts First Year, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Lucius Malfoy Being an Asshole, M/M, Oblivious Harry, On Hiatus, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2019-11-09 00:05:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17991095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gamma_gray/pseuds/gamma_gray
Summary: Imagine a world with no Voldemort, with no wizarding war, and everyone is alive.Harry Potter and the rest of the characters must face a different sort of evil, a completely mundane life. (Well, about as mundane as things can get while being a wizard in a magic school)





	1. Chapter 1: The Hogwarts Letter

Draco Malfoy considered himself to be lucky. Yes, perhaps he hadn’t been dealt the best cards in the world. But what he did have was more than what some had, and for that he was grateful. He had a loving mother, Narcissa Black Malfoy, who worked hard to make sure that they had food and a roof over their heads. She always made sure that Draco got the love and attention that he needed, making time for him no matter what.

Their life was quiet. Living in their small apartment in London was a perfect fit for the pair. It got lonely sometimes, living alone together. They didn’t have many friends to speak of, most people avoided them because of their standoffish and mysterious nature. But they found ways to keep themselves happy. Narcissa took up knitting, often sitting in their recliner with her projects. She mostly knitted hats, scarves, and mittens for her and Draco. They had a television, but it was small, and rarely worked. It was a miracle if it even turned on. Draco took frequent trips to the local library, sometimes reading them aloud to his mother. He liked all types of books. Narcissa always joked that he was going to read the whole Library whenever he came home with an armful of books. 

It was mid morning on a rainy Sunday when Draco’s Hogwarts letter came. Narcissa was making toast in their small kitchen, wheat bread, butter, just how they liked it. She was pouring orange juice for the both of them when a knocking sound came from the window on the other side of the room. She put down the jug and walked over to the window, dodging their owl, Aries’, empty cage. Aries was sleeping on one of the arms of the recliner.

Narcissa pulled the curtains aside to see one of the Hogwarts owls. A letter with the Hogwarts emblem sat in the owl’s talons. Narcissa screamed with excitement, running down the short hallway to the bedroom. Draco was sleeping soundly, bedsheets messily covering his scrawny body. His mother rushed up to him and gently shook him awake.“Draco dear wake up, your Hogwarts letter’s come!” She exclaimed. 

Draco’s eyes blinked open. He sat up and rubbed his eyes blearily. “What are you going on about?” he groaned.

Narcissa took him by the shoulders. “Your letter dear! Your letter has arrived from Hogwarts!” At this Draco jumped up, ignoring the fact that he was still in his pajamas, and raced out to the window, where the owl was still standing. 

The two worked together to open the window, letting the tawny owl fly into the apartment and watching as it landed on the kitchen counter. 

Draco took the letter from the owl, hugging his mother tightly. The two jumped for joy, relishing in the once in the lifetime moment. Narcissa pet his head, ruffling his hair.

“Oh come on now Draco, open it!” She exclaimed, peering over her son’s shoulder as he opened the letter neatly, not wanting to ruin it. 

Draco had a wide smile plastered on his face, grey eyes scanning the letter. He hung onto every word. He must have read the letter a total of five times before he finally looked back up to his mother. “There’s so much on here, mother!” He said.

Narcissa rubbed his shoulders. “Oh dear if you’re worried about the cost, don’t be! I’ve been saving up little by little so we can afford your books and potions supplies, and you can wear my old robes!” She tilted her head. When Draco looked down, she rested her hands on his cheeks. “I know that doesn’t sound amazing, but it’s the best we can do. I promise, next year you’ll get your new robes, alright Draco?” She pulled him in for another hug.

“Now then.” Narcissa fetched her purse. “Let’s go to Diagon Alley!”


	2. Diagon Alley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry receives his Hogwarts letter and gathered his supplies.

Harry had a good life. His parents, Lily and James Potter, were the kindest people he knew. Their home in Godric Hollow was perfect for the three of them, plus their cat Minnie. It had a large backyard, and Lily kept the garden in the front looking perfect. It was all anyone could ever ask for.  
And of course, having a family friend who was an Animagus was nothing short of entertaining. Peter Pettigrew lived not too far from the Potters. On his regular visits he was always accompanied by a platter of his famous brownies. Harry always looked forward to his visits, not just because of the brownies, although that was a plus, but because Peter always entertained him by turning into a rat. When he was younger, Harry would waddle around and chase him, giggling all the way. Lily and James would watch from the dinner table, sipping their tea and smiling. 

And then there was Remus Lupin and Sirius Black. The pair lived in the country, living a somewhat peaceful life, despite Remus’ lycanthropy affliction. Their house was small and cozy, sitting atop a hill. During the winter the Potters and Peter would come and sled down the hill. Sometimes it was enjoyable to have some non-magical fun. Since Harry had been surrounded with magic his whole life, it was nice to just sit on a glorified piece of wood and slide down a snow covered slope. 

In the living room of their country home sat a piano. Remus played often, letting the notes fill the room. Sometimes his songs were slow and sad. But other times they were akin to a waltz, and everyone would dance around the room. Mostly Sirius would lean on the piano, eyes closed, listening to his companion play. Other times he would sit on the bench next to Remus, watching his fingers dance across the keys.   
Overall, it seemed that the pair enjoyed their domestic life together. It gave a good distraction from the full moon nights, when Remus would turn into a werewolf. Harry was forbidden from visiting them during this time, but he knew what happened. James would leave their home in Godric Hollow and visit them, Peter joining him. Harry was left to stay with Lily, who always seemed tense on these nights. 

So yes, Harry had a good life. It was filled with people who cared about him, which was always a positive thing. He’d been happy and content in his life, and how could he not be?

When Harry’s Hogwarts letter arrived, the soon-to-be-eleven year old was sitting on the couch, eating one of Peter’s brownies. Sirius was in his dog form, head resting on Remus’ lap, who was petting him absentmindedly as he read a book. Peter and Lily were at the dining table discussing Merlin knows what. James was out waiting for the mail owl. The owl usually came at this time most days, so it was always someone’s job to go outside and wait.

After being outside for around five minutes, James came running back into the house, frantic and out of breath, holding a letter. “HARRY! HARRY YOUR HOGWARTS LETTER HAS COME!!!” 

Harry jumped up, tossing his napkin aside. “REALLY?!” He ran to his father.

Sirius resumed his human form and joined Remus as he rushed to Harry’s side. Lily and Peter left their tea cups on the table and walked to the front door, where James had given Harry his letter.   
“I’m so happy for you Harry!” Lily gave her son a squeeze, and soon all of the people around him joined in to hug him.  
Harry grunted. “I’m happy too but please . . . can’t . . . breathe!” At this everyone backed off, but still stayed close to him as he opened the letter. 

He read over it quickly, too excited to go slowly. He had been waiting for this moment his whole life. With all of the stories his parents had told him of Hogwarts, he was anxious for the time when his own letter would arrive. “This is amazing!” Harry exclaimed, folding up the letter. “Can we please go to Diagon Alley now? I just can’t wait!” He asked.

James shrugged. “I don’t see why not!” And looked over to Lily. “What do you say, honey?” He asked. 

Lily too shrugged. “I say what are we waiting for, everyone, field trip to Diagon Alley!” Everyone cheered, causing Harry to smile widely. 

***

The group travelled via floo powder, using their fireplace as the mode of transportation. They appeared in the busy street, but no one paid them much mind. Things like that were normal in the wizarding world, after all.  
“Alright, let’s see what we’ve got here.” Lily pulled out the letter from her purse, reading over the list of needed supplies. “How about we get your robes first?” She said.

Harry nodded. “Sounds good to me.” He followed James and Lily into Madam Malkin’s, leaving Peter, Sirius and Remus to go off and do their own things.

Harry felt very fancy in his robes. They fit just perfectly, and he enjoyed watching them float after him as he walked. After they left Madam Malkin’s they went to gather his cauldron and potions supplies. All of the ingredients were quite gross, yet fascinating. Once all of his potions things had been collected, they went to Flourish and Blotts to purchase his books.

The stack was very heavy, not to mention that he could hardly see over the top of it. As he went to purchase them, he suddenly bumped into another student purchasing books. The both of them fell to the ground, books spilling all over the place. 

“I’m so sorry!” The other student apologized. He was a pale boy with platinum blond hair that looked to be about Harry’s age. He frantically picked up his books. Harry took note of the fact that his were cheap and used, looking back to his own brand new volumes.   
“There’s no need to apologize, I should’ve been more careful.” Harry helped the other boy gather up his books. The blond thanked him quietly. Harry smiled. “My name’s Harry. Harry Potter.” And stuck out his hand. 

The other boy stared at his hand for a moment, then shook it. “Draco.” Draco smiled back, face slightly flushed. Harry assumed it was from the embarrassment of running into him. Draco thanked him one more time, then the two boys parted ways.

When Harry found his parents again, he told them the story. “Mum, dad, I’ve just met another student!” He said. 

James and Lily smiled. “Really? Who did you meet?” Lily asked.

“His name was Draco.” Harry said.

“And what did this Draco look like?” James questioned.

“Oh I dunno . . . blond, skinny . . .” Harry spoke honestly.

Lily and James exchanged a nervous glance. “Must be that Malfoy kid.” James scoffed. He bent down slightly to his son, speaking quieter than before. “Look, Harry, I think you should stay away from that Draco boy. Those pureblood supremacists, especially the Malfoys, are no good.” He put a hand on Harry’s shoulder. 

Harry looked down. “Okay dad.” He said, disappointed. He had been happy to have met another boy going to Hogwarts, but if this Draco Malfoy was really a jerk, then he supposed he was thankful that his father had warned him before he could get hurt. Harry shook off the sad feeling and came back to reality

“Well I reckon we should get Harry an owl, for letters and such. Sometimes those Hogwarts owls aren’t the best at delivering mail.” Lily said. She looked to Harry, emerald eyes sparkling in the light of the sun. 

“Off to the Owl Emporium!” James exclaimed, grabbing his wife and son ‘s hands. 

 

As soon as they walked into the shop, Harry immediately saw which owl he wanted. There, in one of the cages in front, sat a owl whose feathers were the color of snow. She was surveying the room, eyes wide. Harry stepped closer to the owl, as if in a trance. He put a gentle hand on one of the bars on the cage, the owl stepped back at this. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you.” Harry spoke in a whisper so as not to scare the owl further. 

His parents walked up behind him, crouching down to his level and studying the snowy owl. “Is this the one you want, Harry?” Lily asked. Harry nodded wordlessly. She smiled. “What would you like to name it then?” She smoothed down his hair with her hand.

Harry thought for a moment. “Hedwig.” He spoke with confidence, proud of the name that he had come up with. 

“Well alright then.” James said. He reached out some coins. “Let’s get you your owl!”

Hedwig was heavier than Harry expected. He used both arms to carry her through Diagon Alley as they made their way to Ollivanders to get his wand. After Hedwig, this was what Harry was most excited about. The wand was the gateway to all magic. Once he had his wand he could do anything.  
The rows and rows of wands loomed over him, as if intimidating him. Harry’s mouth stood agape as he looked around at all of the boxes of wands.   
A kind old man walked up to him and helped him find his wand. It took quite a few tries before he found the perfect wand that bonded to him.   
Harry, happy with his wand, followed his parents out of the shop.  
***

Back at home, Harry had all of his things strewn around on the living room carpet. He was watching Hedwig very closely. Hedwig, who had been let out of her cage at last, was sitting on the top of the couch, looking out the window. Minnie was sleeping soundly in one of the armchairs, purring. Remus and Sirius had gone back to their house in the country. Peter had also gone home, but not without giving Harry one of his warm hugs first

James was telling Harry more stories about his time at Hogwarts, and Harry was surprised that he hadn’t already exhausted all of them. Sometimes when James would start a story, Lily would cut him off, muttering that the story wasn’t appropriate. James would sigh and roll his eyes, assuring Harry that he’d tell him when he was older with a cheeky wink. 

Harry went to bed that night with a warm feeling in his chest. He couldn’t wait to get to Hogwarts.


	3. The Hogwarts Express

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and the like board the train for Hogwarts.

On the first of September, the whole Potter family, plus Sirius, Remus, and Peter of course, went to Kings Cross to see Harry off to Hogwarts. They must’ve made quite the scene to muggles, what with Hedwig being in her cage for anyone to see.   
“It’s been awhile since we’ve been here, hasn’t it?” Sirius spoke, studying his surroundings. 

“Sure has. Say Sirius, d’you remember that time we totally-” James was cut off when Lily elbowed him in the ribs. He rubbed his side as Lily gave him a glare. Remus, Sirius, and Peter chuckled, giving each other knowing looks. 

They walked down the way until they finally reached the space in between platforms nine and ten. As they approached the wall, a large ginger haired family came out of the woodworks. “Alright everyone, stay together now! Ginny keep up and Fred, stop bothering your brother!” An older woman shouted, at who Harry assumed were her children. Her daughter was practically running, trying to keep up with the rest of her family. 

One of the taller boys stepped away from his shorter brother. “Mum, I’m George!” He said.

A boy who looked exactly liked him laughed. “Honestly woman, you call yourself our mother.” 

The woman sighed. “Oh I’m sorry George.” 

“I’m just kidding, I’m Fred.”

“Say, aren’t those the Weasley’s?” Peter asked. They all looked over to the squabbling family. 

Lily craned her neck to get a better look. “Yep, that’s them alright.” She laughed. “Oi, Molly!” She waved her hand in the air and shouted to get the woman’s attention. “Over here!”

The short woman, who Harry now knew was named Molly, and all of her kids looked over at them. Molly smiled and waved back. “Well if it isn’t the Potters!” She said as she came closer to the platform. “It’s been awhile, hasn’t it? Oh and this must be Harry!” Molly patted said boy on the shoulder. 

“Yes, it’s his first year at Hogwarts.” James said, putting an arm around his son proudly. 

“Well what a coincidence! It’s my son Ron’s first year as well! Isn’t it, Ron?” Molly looked back at her shortest son. Ron frowned as his mother ruffled his hair. 

She chuckled, then looked down at an old watch.”Oh my, it’s nearly time for the train to leave! Alright everyone, onto the platform! Percy, you’re the eldest, so you go first!” She ushered her children closer to the platform. 

One by one the Weasley children phased through the platform. The prospect of having to do this scared Harry. What if he didn’t phase through? What if he became stuck in the wall? Or what if the platform wouldn’t let him in? All of these thoughts raced through his head, until it was finally his turn to go.

“Go on now, Harry. I promise it’s not hard. Just take a running start and you’ll be through before you know it.” Lily had her hands on her son’s shoulders, steering him in the right direction. 

“Your mother’s right, Harry. It’s just a quick run through, nothing more to it.” James said.

Harry nodded and took a deep breathe, for what reason he did not know, and ran at the wall. He clenched his eyes shut as he passed through, then stopped on the other side. He slowly opened his eyes to see a large maroon train that seemed to stretch for miles. Students and parents alike bustled around the platform as the steam from the train filled the air. It took him a moment, but he finally caught sight of Ron, who was bickering with the twins, Fred and George. Soon his parents, along with Peter, Sirius, and Remus, also phased through the platform, appearing right behind Harry. 

“You’ve better get on the train Harry, and make sure to get a good compartment. Maybe go sit with that Ron boy, eh?” James turned him in the direction of the train.

Lily pulled him back into a hug.”Oh Harry, please write home as often as possible! I want to hear about everything!” She squeezed him. Pretty soon his whole family was huddled around him, giving him a warming goodbye. 

“Yeah, and make sure to say hello to Peeves for me!” James said.

“But don’t forget to study hard, Harry! Hogwarts isn’t all about fun!” Remus advised.

“Right, that’s coming from Remus, who was, let’s not forget, the most rebellious out of all of us.” Sirius smirked, earning a glare from his partner. 

“Right, well, I best be off then.” Harry gave his family one last hug and goodbye before he hopped onto the train. He walked down the aisle, peeking inside every compartment to find an empty one. 

“Oi Harry, over here!” He looked down a ways to see Ron standing outside of a compartment, waving. Harry smiled and walked down to meet him. They had the compartment all to themselves, with no other students occupying it. “Isn’t this sweet?” Ron said. “We’ve got all this to ourselves.” 

“Sure is.” Said Harry, looking around the compartment curiously. It was a cozy little thing, with two benches facing each other and a window.   
Suddenly the train jolted forward. Harry heard shouts from outside and leaned out of the window. He saw his entire family waving at him. Harry waved back, smiling wide. And then they were off. Harry sat back down on the bench.

Harry and Ron chatted for a bit, getting to know each other. Apparently the red head had quite the large family. Five brothers and one sister. That couldn’t have been easy. Harry, being an only child, could not relate, but he listened to the boy anyway as he ranted about his siblings. Ron was in the middle of telling Harry a story about one of the twins’ pranks when a frizzy haired girl slid open the compartment door.

“Excuse me, but a boy named Neville’s lost his toad. Have either of you seen it?” She asked, looking between the two boys. When Harry and Ron shook their heads, she sighed. “Alright, well thanks anwa-” She was cut off when a toad jumped into the compartment in between her legs. She shrieked and jumped onto the bench that Ron was sitting on. Both Harry and Ron pulled their legs up to their chests, staring at the toad. 

“Well I think we’ve found it.” Ron stated, eyes wide. 

The three heard frantic steps approaching, and soon a short boy about their age appeared in the doorway. “Hermione I heard you scream, what’s going on?” Then he spotted the toad and brightened up. “Trevor!” He exclaimed, then dove and grabbed his toad. “Don’t go running off again, I thought I’d lost you for good!” He hugged his toad to his chest. “Thank you guys for finding him, I’m Neville by the way.” He smiled. 

The girl sat down on the bench normally. “I’m Hermione Granger.” She sat with her back straight, and legs crossed neatly.

“Ron Weasley.” Ron said.

“And I’m Harry, Harry Potter.” Harry said.

Neville smiled, obviously happy to have met some new fellow students. 

“SWEETS TROLLEY COMING AROUND! GET YOUR SWEETS HERE!” The four students looked over to see a plump gray-haired woman pushing around a cart with various candies on it. Harry dug around inside his pocket for some coins that his parents had sent with him. He pulled out some sickles and knuts, hoping it would be enough to by some sweets. 

“Blast it.” Ron muttered. He pulled his hands from his pockets only to come out empty handed. “Fred and George must’ve taken my extra coins.” He sighed and leaned back into the bench. 

Harry looked down at his own change, then back up at Ron. “I’ll buy you some sweets, Ron.” He said, standing up.

Ron leaned back up in surprise. “Really? Y-you don’t have to Harry.” He said, face turning a shade of red. 

The black haired boy shrugged. “It’s no problem, really. What would you like then?” He asked.

The two boys decided on some Chocolate Frogs for all four of them, Licorice Wands, and a pack of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans. The group of new friends ate their sweets contentedly, enjoying each other’s company.


	4. The Sorting Hat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and the gang finally arrive at Hogwarts for their sorting

Eventually Harry had fallen asleep, head resting against the window. He was awoken when he felt someone shaking him by the shoulder. 

“C’mon now Harry, we’ve arrived at Hogsmeade!” He recognized Ron’s voice immediately.

Harry rubbed his eyes beneath his glasses and sat up. He looked around the compartment to see that everyone else had put on their school robes, and he followed suit. Once he had his robes on he followed them out of the compartment and exited the train  
All of the first years gathered in a separate group from the other students. They all murmured nervously to each other, theorizing about what was waiting for them. And after minutes of waiting, they finally found out.

A giant man stepped up to them, a fierce dog-like creature at his side. He cleared his throat, then spoke. “Greetings, first years! The name’s Hagrid, Rubeus Hagrid, an’ I’ll be takin’ you to the castle tonight.” His normal voice, which sounded like he was shouting, echoed around the group. Hagrid gestured over to where many boats covered the surface of a great lake. “These’ll take ye’ to Hogwarts. Then you’ll get sorted into yer Houses.” He smiled, large beard curving upwards.

Harry was shoved lightly as the horde of first years got onto the boats. Harry was scared of falling in at first, but he managed to get it one without much trouble, the boat only rocking slightly. Ron got in after him, followed by Neville and Hermione. The group talked amongst themselves, pondering over which Houses they would be in. Although they had slightly different ideas, one thing was for certain, none of them wanted to be in Slytherin, the supposed “evil” House. James had always told Harry about the jerks from the snake House, warning him to stay far away. Harry, not having much experience with this, listened to his words. His dad was just trying to look after him, after all. And of course his dad had told him about the Gryffindor House as well. James, Lily, Peter, Remus, and Sirius had all been in this House. It valued bravery and chivalry above all else, which is something Harry’s parents had instilled in him as well from a very young age. Doing what was right, that is what Harry believed in. 

As the boats sailed across the lake, the castle came closer and closer. The enormous castle loomed above them, almost as high as the moon in the sky. Harry heard Hermione and Neville audibly gasp at the sight. He shared their amazement, the castle was impressive. He couldn’t wait to go inside.   
The boats soon docked on the shore. Everyone got out, with only a few accidents of people falling into the water. They started the long trek up the path towards the entrance to the castle. When they finally reached the large doors, Harry was slightly out of breath.

Hagrid opened the doors to the castle, and what was inside amazed Harry. The ceiling of the Great Hall stretched far above his head, and the walls were the same stone as the outside of the castle. Paintings with people and animals that moved dotted the wall. Harry was busy admiring the castle when an old witch wearing green dress robes approached the nervous group of first years. 

“Welcome to Hogwarts, first years! Hagrid, thank you for escorting them, you may go to your seat.” Hagrid nodded, then walked around the witch to go into the Dining Hall. 

The witch turned back to the group and smiled. “I am Professor McGonagall, I teach Transfiguration and I am Head of Gryffindor House. In just a moment you will be entering the Dining Hall. You will line up on the front platform and you will take turns getting sorted. Any questions?” McGonagall scanned the students. When no one raised their hands, she continued. “Very well, in you go.” She turned around the pushed open the huge doors. 

Harry immediately felt the stares of all the other students as he walked down the middle of the way, between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. Students from all four Houses watched the awkward first years walk to the front of the Hall. Some of them whooped and hollered, and some just stared silently.   
One by one the first years fell into a line in front of the teachers table. McGonagall once again appeared, setting a weathered old hat on a short wooden stool. She stepped a few paces away and waited patiently while the hat suddenly came to life.  
The folds in the hat turned into eyes and a mouth. And then it burst into song. Quite loudly. Multiple first years noticeably jumped, certainly not expecting this. The Hat proceeded to sing about the school and all of the Houses, but Harry was more interested in why exactly the Hat was singing in the first place. 

When the Hat had finished it’s song, McGonagall pulled out a long scroll of parchment and cleared her throat. “When I call your name, you may sit on the stool and put on the Sorting Hat. When you’ve been sorted please go to the table of your House.” She nodded once to herself then began calling off the names of students. One by one the first years stepped up to the Hat and were sorted. Each minute that passed made Harry more and more nervous, he felt sweat gathering in his palms.

“Hermione Granger.” The messy haired girl from earlier stepped up, holding her chin high, though Harry could see in her eyes that she was just as nervous as he was. She sat on the stool and put the Hat on her head, the weathered fabric falling down onto her face. The Hat thought for a moment, then shouted loud enough for the whole Hall to hear, “GRYFFINDOR!” Hermione took the hat off, school robes and tie changing to the colors of the House. She stepped down and made her way to sit at the loudest table of them all. 

 

The next student Harry recognized that was sorted was Neville. One his name was called, he froze for a few moments, then timidly walked over to the Hat. The Hat thought longer than it had thought for Hermione, but once the Hat made it’s decision, he shouted it out loud. “GRYFFINFOR!” Neville, looking as though a huge weight had been taken off of his shoulders, scurried across the Hall to sit by Hermione. 

After him, Draco Malfoy stepped up to the Hat. He looked fearless in his strides, a determined look on his face. The hat had barely touched the hairs on his head before it shouted “SLYTHERIN!” Draco nodded once to himself, then walked stiffly towards the Slytherin table. The older students, instead of cheering like they usually did for a new member, booed him and shouted rather rude obscenities at the blond boy as he sat down. Harry thought this was quite odd, but tried to shake it off. 

A few more kids and it was finally Harry’s turn to be sorted. “Harry Potter.” McGonagall called out. Harry took a deep breath, then proceeded to the stool. He sat down and lifted the Sorting Hat to his head. Aahh . . . The Sorting Hat spoke in his head. A boy of Gryffindor decent, with such Slytherin potential. “No please.” Harry pleaded. “Not Slytherin.” He thought back to his parent’s warnings of the snake house. But you’d fit in so well. “I am no Slytherin!” Harry said. Very well. And then the Sorting Hat announced, for all to hear, “GRYFFINDOR!” 

Harry exhaled deeply, relieved at the result. He jumped down and joined Fred and George, who were whooping and cheering. Both of them patted him on the back. And soon Ron also joined them, a lazy smile on his face. Harry and him shared a high five.

Once all of the first years had been sorted, the stool and Hat were moved aside, and an old wise wizard with a long gray beard stepped up to the podium to address the school. The Hall fell silent. 

“Good evening, students new and old.” He said, voice echoing around the Hall. “I am Headmaster Dumbledore, though some of you already knew that. I do hope that we have another great year ahead of us. But I would like to remind those of you that seem to have forgotten, that hexing another student is strictly prohibited.” Dumbledore’s eyes rested on Fred and George for a moment, before he moved on. “I will keep my speech short, as I am sure all of you are hungry. Here at Hogwarts, we like to give students equal opportunities, no matter what House or blood you are. Whether pure blooded or muggle born, we are all here to study magic.” He smiled. “Now, have great year, and let the feast commence!” Dumbledore raised his hands up high, and at the same time food appeared on the table.

It looked absolutely delicious, it was the biggest amount of food Harry had ever seen in his life. His plate was full of food, but he had no idea where to start. So he started by taking a bite of each, savouring the flavor that danced across his tongue. Harry scarfed down the feast, wondering if each meal were to be this good, he would never want to leave.   
But eventually it did end, food magically disappearing from the table. The first years were instructed to follow their Prefects to their Houses Common Rooms. Harry got up and followed Ron as they gathered with the other Gryffindor first years. 

“Alright, all first years follow me. I’m Percy Weasley, your Prefect.” Ron’s older brother shouted over the general noise of the Hall. 

“Your brothers a Prefect?” Harry leaned over to ask Ron.

The other boy scoffed. “Yeah, and he’s made for it. He’s always been stuck up.” Ron sent glares towards his brother, who was now leading the pack. “He acts like a Prefect at home, too. Kind of annoying.” 

Harry could imagine it now, Percy bossing his siblings around, Prefect badge fastened to his day clothes. It almost made him laugh, especially when Ron rolled his eyes at him. 

Perhaps this year would be fun. He already had at least one friend, that was a good start, right?


	5. The First Week

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> School is turning out to be a difficult time for Draco.

The boos of the Slytherin’s still echoed in Draco’s head. He had sat at the table, back hunched, not brave enough to make contact with any of the eyes that now glared daggers at him, teasing him relentlessly. Two particularly bothersome first years, Crabbe and Goyle, both made it their personal mission to bother Draco as much as they could during the Feast. 

No matter how good the food was, it had no taste to Draco, who was grateful when it was called to an end. He tried to blend into the crowd, but he stood out nonetheless.

 

Of course all of the pure blooded Slytherins had heard of the Malfoys, and their predicament. Lucius, the snake house’s golden boy, was honoured greatly in their community. So when Narcissa took Draco and ran away from him, they were both condemned. Narcissa was supposed to be the quiet wife, doing whatever her husband asked, and even putting up with his abuse. Needless to say, she had broken all social rules imposed upon her. Though Draco looked up to his mother and her bravery, the rest of the Slytherins did not hold such adoration. 

 

The Slytherin dorms were cold. Whether it was from Draco’s mood, he did not know. All he knew was that he was feeling quite lonely that night. He missed comfortable atmosphere of the apartment he shared with his mother, he was missing her love most of all that night. He closed the curtains around his bed and waited for sleep to overtake him.

 

***

Draco had expected there to be at least one class that he’d find tolerable. But in every class there was that one group of students who whispered and mocked him behind his back, even the Hufflepuffs snuck questioning glances to each other when they thought he wasn’t looking. Was he really such a spectacle? Every day of that blasted first week was torture. All of the teachers either treated him like scum, or treated him like a fragile injured little bird. Neither of which Draco found comfortable. He woke up everyday, wondering if there was some way he could get out of attending classes. His motivation had slowly been sucked out of him, he no longer felt joy at being at Hogwarts, the place he’d been dreaming of attending for years, he just felt tired.

He wrote to his mother as often as possible, nearly three times a week. At that point in the year, he had no friends to speak of. Every barrier seemed to be looming in front of him, preventing him from moving forward. Draco started to doubt whether he would ever make any friends. At that rate, the answer was certainly no. 

 

But he was determined to make it through, if not only for the sake of his mother. He would study hard and get good marks, anything to make his mother proud. 

 

This proved to be more difficult than he imagined though. Even his favourite subject, potions, was insufferable. He felt the glares of his classmate’s eyes stabbing into the back of his head like daggers. All class he could hear and sneers of fellow Slytherins, taunting him, wondering why he was even put in Slytherin in the first place. 

Everyday Draco would close his eyes, and take a deep breath.  _ It will get better  _ he told himself.  _ All will turn out alright.  _ He just had to believe himself. That was the trick. 

 

***

 

It was a gloomy Sunday morning. Draco had seated himself at a table in the Library, away from the other students. He was working on his Potions essay on the uses of the Sleeping Draught when he was interrupted. Crabbe and Goyle, fellow Slytherin first years, loomed over him, making the shadows of the forgotten corner of the Library even darker. But neither of them spoke. It was a petite black haired girl who broke the menacing silence.

“Oi Malfoy.” Pansy Parkinson’s shrill voice said from the other side of him. Draco dared to look up from his parchment. 

Draco cleared his throat. “What do you want, Pansy?” he asked. 

Pansy bent down to his eye level. “Me? Oh I just wanted to make sure that you knew that you aren’t wanted in the Slytherin House. Your mum caused quite a bit of trouble when she pulled that stunt of hers. In fact, no one was even expecting you to come to Hogwarts in the first place.” Crabbe and Goyle snorted at this.

 

Draco looked down at his books as she continued.

“You’ll be lucky if you survive this first year, Malfoy.” Pansy spat his last name with much venom. “It’s only going to get worse.” She stuck her chin in the air and walked away, Crabbe and Goyle following, though not without making rude comments.

 

Draco sighed. He felt tears sting the corners of his eyes, but he refused to cry. He picked up his quill and continued his work, trying to distract himself from the menacing encounter. 

Of course he knew he wasn’t wanted, that much was obvious, but for Pansy to so plainly state it, that had destroyed much of his confidence. Perhaps she was right, perhaps he wouldn’t be able to make it through the year. But if he did, that would only allow her to win. And Draco didn’t want her to have that luxury. She didn’t deserve it, the way that she was treating him. 

 

So Draco would continue with his plan. He would get through Hogwarts so him and his mother could live a happy life together. He was going to make her proud.

  
  



	6. Professor Snape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry laments about one of his least favorite teachers.

Harry didn’t like Potions class. No, it wasn’t because of the awful smells or slimy texture of the ingredients. It was because of the teacher, one Professor Snape. He was an overall angry man. His ugly nose and greasy black hair was just the tip of the grimy iceberg. He had a horrid personality, and above that he was mean to pretty much all of his students. All except the Slytherins, of course. So he was biased as well.

One gloomy Wednesday morning, his temperment was particularly sour. Ron, Neville, Dean, and Seamus and Harry  made their way down to the dungeons for Potions. Neville, out of all of them, was the most scared of Professor Snape. Everytime he so much as looked in Neville’s general direction, the boy trembled. 

 

“I’m not very much of a Gryffindor, am I?” Neville asked, standing by Hermione who was brewing their Wiggenweld potion. Across the room, standing by Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini, Snape sneered at them.

“That’s not exactly true, Neville.” Harry spoke, chopping up his ingredients. “Perhaps it’s not obvious, but I’m sure that you’re Gryffindor in your own special way.” That at least seemed to ease some of the other boy’s tension, who looked back and focused on his potion. 

Harry saw that Hermione had a slight smile on her face, even though it was ducked down in concentration. 

“Harry’s right, Neville. I’m sure your true colors will show soon enough. The Sorting Hat doesn’t lie.” Ron added in, squinting at the book. “Blimey, why’s the text in these things always so small? I can’t hardly read it.” He muttered under his breath.

Harry leaned down text to him. “It says there to stir the pot in two minute intervals for a half hour  until it reaches the correct color.” He read aloud.

“So it does . .” Ron sighed quietly, furrowing his brow slightly in frustration, but following the instructions nonetheless.  

 

They finished the potion, with some hiccups, but finished it nonetheless. As Snape came around to inspect everyone’s work, he gave them a sneer. “Hmm.” he spoke with venom in his voice, before floating away menacingly. That was a better reaction than either of them were expecting, so they would take it.

 

***

 

That night at the Gryffindor dorms, Harry sat with Ron, Neville, and Hermione at one of the tables. That day they’d been assigned an essay in History of Magic, five paragraphs long about something they’d learned earlier.

 

Out of all of them, Ron was having the hardest time with it. He simply stared at his parchment, quill still in his grip.

Hermione leaned over to look at him, a look of obvious disappointment on her face. Ron made a snide comment, causing her to turn red and look away.

 

“I don’t even know who this is . . .” Neville slumped in his seat, staring uselessly at his textbook.

 

“You don’t know?” Hermione sounded aghast. “Didn’t you read your book over the summer?” She acted as if it was a huge travesty, a detrimental decision that would have immeasurable effects on their future. 

 

“None of us did, Hermione. And why would we?” Harry sounded exasperated, which he was, at Hermione’s comments. He scribbled down his words, hoping that his handwriting would be messy enough that the professor wouldn’t be able to notice that Harry had no idea what he was talking about. 

 

Hermione just gasped and turned her head down to her work, leaving the three boys alone to suffer through their homework.

 

X

 

The next day Harry got a letter from his parents. A tawny owl came in with the rest of the owls during breakfast that morning, swooping down to give him the rolled up parchment. He opened it with excitement burning in his chest.

 

“ _ Dear Harry, _

 

_ How are you doing, son? Is Hogwarts turning out to be everything you wished it would be? Your mother has been worried sick lately, but I keep telling her that you’re a strong boy, and everything will be fine. _

_ I hope Snivilous isn’t giving you too much trouble in Potions, and if he is, don’t be afraid to tell me. I know about fifteen hexes that would do the trick and put him in his place. _

_ Anyway, your cooky uncles want to write you now, so I’ll hand over the parchment to them. _

 

_ Hello Harry, this is Remus writing you now.  _

_ Are your studies going alright? Staying awake in class? I know some of the professors there can really bore you but make sure to keep up with your work. Trust me, it will pay off.  _

_ I hope you’re making friends as well. I know just how important it can be to have a few best mates by your side, so make sure to keep them close.  _

_ Has the Quidditch season started yet? James says that no player will ever be as great as him, but I have my doubts. (Don’t tell your father this, but I think you could easily surpass him.)  _

_ Everyone can’t wait for you to come home for Christmas, even Minnie has been laying on your bed everyday since you left. And we’ve been stuffed to the brim with Wormtail’s baking. He’s found a few new recipes that he can’t wait to show you. _

 

_ Padfoot wanted to write you as well, but it appears that he’s busy playing with some birds outside, but I assure you that he misses you as well. _

 

_ Hope to hear from you soon! _

 

_ Love,  _

_ Lily, Prongs, Padfoot, Moony, and Wormtail” _

 

Harry grinned from ear to ear as he finished reading the letter. He couldn’t help but laugh in delight, thinking of ways to respond to the letter. Perhaps he should skip his Transfiguration work that night. 

A few of the other Gryffindors got letters as well, even Hermione.

 

“I’m surprised they figured out how owls work.” She pondered out loud, eyes scanning the letter. She smiled sadly at it. It was obvious that she was missing her parents in the Muggle World. Being Muggle-born, it must’ve been a big leap of faith attending Hogwarts. She was very brave, despite all of the anti-muggle hate speech around the school, especially by the Slytherins.

 

Ron and the rest of his siblings gathered around their letters together. Fred and George made some jokes about their mother once again mixing them up. Harry admired their familial bond. He secretly wished he had a brother or sister, but he was also very grateful for his family as it was. 

 

***

 

Thankfully it was a Friday, so after all of their classes were done they could simply enjoy the night without stress. 

Hermione, of course, still insisted on reading her Potions textbook. She was curled up in one of the arm chairs by the fire, frizzy hair pulled back in a scrunchie.

Harry and Ron were playing wizard’s chess nearby. Neville watched on, though far too nervous to take a side. Both Harry and Ron were aggressive in their rivalry when playing games, so Neville was just playing it safe. 

 

At this time of the year, all of the students were falling into their regular school time schedule They’d started to adjust to the atmosphere, as odd as it was. Their days would start to blur together, becoming a jumbled mess of mundane happenings.

 

That was most likely for the best.

  
  



	7. Room of Requirement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco saves a familiar face from some nasty bullies, and in turn, maybe makes a friend.

Draco thought that the harassment would get better over time. Oh, how naive he was. In fact, it had gotten significantly worse over the weeks.

And that fateful morning Draco was looking forward to the mail owls. One of them landed by his spot and left him a letter. Draco thanked the owl, though he knew he didn’t need to, and took the letter. It was sent in a pristine white envelope, no doubt from his mother as those were the types of envelopes found in the Muggle world. Draco opened it excitedly.

 

_ “Dear Draco, _

 

_ It feels like forever since I’ve seen you, I miss you so very much! _

_ I do hope that your studies are doing well, though I already know they are, seeing as you’re a very bright boy! _

_ I have been a bit worried lately, though. Dumbledore’s written me about some kids in your House giving you some trouble about your father. I wish they could see beyond the circumstances, but Slytherin’s always been a close-minded House.  _

_ If it ever gets too much, do not be afraid to let I or-” _

 

“Oi, what’s this? Malfoy’s got a letter has he?” Pansy Parkinson ripped the letter from his hands and glared at it. She gave a screeching laugh, almost akin to a vulture. “Aw, how sweet! Draco’s mum is worried about him.” She looked back at the letter, and her face dropped. “What’s this . . . has Draco told on us?” Pansy moved her glare to Draco, who was fuming.

 

“I haven’t!” Draco attempted in vain to grab his letter back, but Crabbe and Goyle pushed him away. 

 

“Hmm, I think you’re lying.” Pansy began to rip up the letter.

 

“Stop that, Parkinson!” Draco lunged at her but Crabbe shoved him to the ground. He landed with a hard thud on the stone ground. His back and bottom ached from the impact. 

 

Pansy laughed once more and let the pieces of the paper fall to the ground in front of him. “That’ll teach him not to mess with us.” She brushed off her hands for dramatic effect. “Crabbe, Goyle, let’s go. I’ve seen enough of Malfoy’s ugly face for one day.” The three of them walked away, leaving Draco to crawl on the ground and gather up the pieces. 

 

Tears stung his eyes but wouldn’t allow them to fall, not here anyway. He put the pieces in his robe pockets and ran to the nearest bathroom.

It was empty, thank Merlin, and Draco set to work on arranging them back. Put it was no use, it was impossible to figure out what piece went where, so eventually he gave up.

He threw them in the trash and scrubbed his eyes with his hands. His body shook with silent sobs.

 

Why him? Didn’t they have anyone else to harass? Why was he always their sole target. He hadn’t even done anything wrong! It was his stupid father, and the stupid wizarding world social constructs. He just wanted to live in peace, why wouldn’t the world let him have that simple joy?

 

***

 

A few days later, Draco was rounding a corner in the corridor when he spotted some Slytherin’s giving a Gryffindor a hard time. He recognized her immediately by her dark frizzy hair and darker skin. It was Hermione Granger.

He felt a surge of anger course through him as they taunted her and called her slurs. “Mudblood!” They spat, shoving her around as she tried to leave the circle that surrounded her.

 

Draco couldn’t just sit there and let it happen, he had to do something. So he stomped up to them and confronted the bullies. “Leave her alone!” He said.

 

Hermione looked up in shock, certainly not expecting anyone to come to her rescue. But Draco was never one to follow expectations.

 

“Ah, it appears that Malfoy hasn’t learned his lesson yet.” Pansy snarled.

 

Draco tried to simply ignore her, instead grabbing Hermione’s hand and pulling her away from the crowd.

 

“Bad mistake.” Pansy shouted. “You two best watch your backs!”

 

Draco continued to ignore her as they walked away. It wasn’t until they’d reached the other end of the corridor that he turned to talk to Hermione. 

 

“Why did you do that?” She asked, ripping her hand away from his.

 

“They can be very cruel.” Draco said. “I know that first hand.” 

 

Hermione looked down. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to seem ungrateful, I’m just . . . shocked is all.” She shifted her feet nervously.

 

“It’s all right, Hermione, I’d be shocked too. I am a filthy Slytherin after all.” Draco chuckled off some of the anxiety.

 

Hermione smiled at him. “I don’t know if I’d say filthy. You did save me from them. I suppose I owe you.” 

 

“O-oh, there’s no need for that. I’m just happy I could help you.” Draco looked around to see the corridors emptying, classes were over for the day. He took a chance and asked Hermione, “Would you perhaps like to go for a walk? It’s okay if you don’t, I just thought that maybe-”

 

“I’d like that very much.” She interrupted. “You seem much nicer than I originally thought you’d be.” She suddenly widened her eyes. “No offence!” She corrected.

 

“None taken.” Draco said, and they began to walk around the halls, exchanging small talk at first. They took the stairs up until they reached an abandoned hallway. Draco ran his hand on the wall until he felt a strange nick in the stone. A dust cloud formed, causing the both of them to step back.

 

The wall shifted, until a wooden door formed. 

 

“That’s . . . odd.” Hermione stared at the door confused. 

 

“Should we go in?” Draco asked, already stepping up to the mysterious door.

 

“Are you kidding me? No! It could be a trap!” Hermione grabbed his arm, but Draco just stepped forward again.

 

“It can’t be that bad, this is a school, Hermione.” He grabbed the cold metal handle and opened it.

 

Inside was something that he . . . did not expect. It was a modestly small room, dim with only a few lamps and a fireplace to bring it light. A large carpet sat in front of the flames, and a couple of chairs next to it. 

 

“This is interesting.” Draco spoke as he made his way to the middle of the room. The cushions of the seats were extremely soft. Hermione hesitantly followed him inside, gazing warily at her surroundings. 

“I’ve never seen, or even heard of anything like this . . .” She said, sitting down in one of the chairs. “What do you think this is?”

Draco sat across from her. “I don’t know, some sort of hidden room. Do you think any of the teachers would know anything about this?”

“I’m afraid to ask.” Hermione chuckled nervously. They sat in silence for only a moment before she spoke up again. “Why did you do it?” She asked. “Why did you stand up for me?” 

“Because I know what it feels like.” Draco responded.

“You do?”

He sighed. “Yeah. Parkinson and the like have been torturing me non stop since I got to Hogwarts.”

“But why?” Hermione asked, leaning forward in her chair. “Aren’t you a pure blooded Slytherin like the rest of them? They should be worshipping you!”

Draco cringed. “It’s . . . it’s my father. He’s not a very good man. He abused my mother and I so we left him.”

“But wait, that doesn’t make any sense. Harry and Ron were telling me that you were Lucius’s good little Slytherin boy. They seemed to think that you and your mother still lived with him.” Hermione now looked more confused than before. 

Draco sighed. “That doesn’t surprise me. My father was, and still is, the pure blooded Slytherin golden boy. He probably didn’t want to damage his reputation, so I wouldn’t doubt that most of the other families didn’t know about it. It’s mostly the other pure blooded families that know and torment me. Those that were close to my father, that is”

Hermione looked down, as if at a loss for words. “I’m sorry, Draco. I had no idea. And here I thought that you were just like all the rest of the Slytherin bullies.” She clenched her eyes shut. 

Draco reached forward and put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay Hermione, I don’t blame you. It’s not your fault.” 

Hermione looked up, eyes slightly red. “I hope I wasn’t too rude to you before.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Draco smiled.

 

The two stayed in there only a few minutes more, lest the room reveal itself to be a trap 

after all. They said their goodbyes and separated to go to their respective Houses. After that afternoon, they hardly saw each other, or even spoke. Draco chalked it up to differing class schedules and Houses, but perhaps Hermione simply didn’t want to be seen with him? No, that couldn’t be it . . . could it? He supposed he’d never know, until he got the chance to talk to her again.

  
  



End file.
